A Man Without a Plan

It's always strange waking up in a tent after the first night camping.  I slept intermittently through the night, being randomly awakened by a couple of owls carrying on a loud conversation and by the bovine procession that continued through the night.  The movement wasn't loud.  It was the occasional calf that found itself separated from the herd and then proceeded to call mama with a genuinely sad MOOOOO!.  Mama cow would mooo back in the distance and the calf would trot off towards the sound of her voice.

I actually managed to sleep in till around 7am and then laid there a while listening to the cacophony of birds up for the early worms.  I crawled out of the tent to take a few photos and figure out how I was going to get out of this place.  Pulling in was not difficult.  It was dirt, but downhill and I managed to pull Hester into a good spot for parking.  As I surveyed my surroundings, it was clear that I would have to fight my way up the hill and out.  Speed and momentum would be key, but you don't just throw around an 850 pound motorcycle towing a 330 pound trailer.  Turns out you actually do and I made it out, remaining vertical.

My camp spot was near the top of a mountain pass that separates Angel Fire and Taos.  I rode the rest of the winding mountain road down and meandered into Taos for gas and a small nut and bolt.  The rough roads have taken a toll and a few minor repairs were needed.  53 cents later (thanks Ace Hardware), my tour pack was secured and I was off to Durango.  While stopped at the Colorado state line sign, I noticed my center stand was dangling loose underneath Hester's frame.  It had been there eleven years.  I suppose i should have checked it at least once in all that time.  I was able to remove the bolt without tools and stashed the assembly for installation later.

I stopped at the Durango Harley-Davidson dealership that sponsored Shark Week VIII in 2018.  The manager actually remembered me; well Hester.  Our group left a positive impression with that dealership and it was cool to reminisce with the staff about our week there.  From Durango, I headed north to Silverton and Ouray.  The ride to Silverton is great, but the ride from Silverton to Ouray is nothing short of epic.  It is extremely technical and challenging with a bike alone, much less tugging a trailer.  My clutch, brakes, and arms got a real workout.

I took the easy way out and set up camp at a KOA campground outside Ouray.  It's crowded, but I feel too lazy to search for something else and I really need a shower.  I need to decide where I'm going on Friday.  Red Lodge is on my list, but they've had forest fires and the status of the Beartooth Highway is still in flux.  I have an overnight stop planned somewhere between Ouray and Red Lodge.  Perhaps an extra day will allow them to get the fires under control.

Hitting the Road

The alarm was set for 4am. Of course I was wide awake staring at the clock at 3:30. Still not excited. Perhaps it's the apprehension I described yesterday. Nevertheless, I was up and moving with plenty of time to spare for a 5:00am KSU.

I hit the road on time and managed to get across the Dallas/Fort Worth metroplex before rush hour. Once I hit 287 west towards Wichita Falls and Amarillo, it's a mind (and butt) numbing straight, flat ride to Interstate 40. I experienced my first heart pounding drama before I hit Wichita Falls. I'm breaking new ground on this trip. Pulling the trailer and Hester's rear tire is a Yokohama car tire. There are many reasons for using car tires in the rear; too many to go into here, but it's safe to say, with the right tire running the proper air pressure, the ride is smooth and far less susceptible to road hazards. But I digress. The new tire and the trailer combined to throw my gas mileage off. I usually get 42-44 miles per gallon, but on my shakedown camping trip in April, the trailer yielded about a ten per cent fuel hit. I can live with that; I just want to know. I was cruising on 287 marveling at the fact that I was 230 miles into the current tank of gas and the miles-left countdown alert had not triggered. That alert was usually good for another thirty miles. I was stoked! Then, as fast as I did the math in my head, Hester's motor started sputtering and died. I managed to coast to the shoulder and realized that the alert had gone off. I apparently missed it. Fortunately, I keep a spare gallon of gas in my saddle bag. Five minutes later, I was back on the road feeling like a doofus for missing the alert, yet simultaneously clever for having the spare gas on hand. So now I know. Roughly 38 miles per gallon pulling a 330 pound trailer. Current gas prices notwithstanding, it's a small price to pay for the hauling convenience.

 I crossed the New Mexico state line and headed north off the beaten path, following routes I had selected for their curves and remoteness. Little did I know when I exited Interstate 40 just how off-beaten the path would get. I rolled into the thriving metropolis of Roy, New Mexico and stopped for gas and to collect my thoughts. I had not planned to ride more than 500 miles a day and I was blowing that. I decided to head into the mountains towards Angel Fire and Taos and seek out a place to camp. Riding NM SR120 was great. From Roy, it climbs and descends several mountain passes. I was surprised how easily the additional 330 pounds behind me handled in the twisties and elevation changes. Admittedly, I had stopped earlier to adjust the load when I noticed the trailer behaving a bit wobbly. It was pulling great now.

 

 

 

SR120 had a lot of warning signs dissuading truckers from following it. After the third, the warning gotmore severe and mentioned nine miles of unpaved surface. The road was an amazing twelve miles of super tight, off-camber turns and climbs and drops. About three miles past the unpaved warning, I decided the warning was a ruse to keep truckers away. At four miles past I realized they meant it as the smooth pavement gave way to somewhat packed gravel that lasted for what seemed like an hour. I now found myself calling into question all that good feeling about Hester handling the trailer so well. Eventually the gravel gave way to pavement that carried me all the way into Angel Fire.

The hunt for a campsite was on. There were plenty of RV parks, but none for tents. One guy in an RV recommended a spot on the mountain road 64 between Angel Fire and Taos. I was heading to Taos anyway, so it made sense. Finding the spot was a bit tricky, but it was absolutely worth it. I drove about three miles along a gravel road that paralleled a small flowing creek and settled on a spot that might give me grief when I pull out in the morning. Within minutes, I had my tent up, my air mattress filled, and my sleeping bag unrolled. I kicked back in my chair to take in the scenery and do a little writing. The dirt road and the grassy path where I'm camped has seen a steady stream of cattle passing by; hundreds of cows of all shapes, sizes and ages. This must be a routine for them because they barely flinched when I rode by them as I was seeking out a campsite. It' dusk and the parade seems to be over. The temperature has dropped steadily and I'm actually wearing my jacket. Between the birds chirping and the breeze whisping through the trees, I should sleep like a log tonight. The plan is to get deep into Colorado tomorrow. I hay have to alter my itinerary if the fires in Red Lodge, Montana remain out of control. I read this morning that Beartooth Pass was closed. Hoping for the best.

 

Bovine Procession

A Rider's GPS Wet Dream

Bird's Eye View of My Camp

Bob Wills Mural in Roy, NM

 

'Twas The Night Before...

I leave tomorrow morning, KSU 5:00am central time.  If you're tracking, it should go live a short while after I depart and I'll appear on a map somewhere west of Dallas.  But I digress.

Admittedly, I'm typing this with mixed emotions.  When I left for Alaska ten years ago almost to the day, I was wired to the hilt and laser focused on touching that sign at the Arctic Circle and knew where I would be stopping each night in order to reach the Circle on schedule.  It's different this trip.  First and foremost, there's no Alaska and irrespective of the cool scenic routes I've created, the excitement factor is fractional by comparison.  Second, with no Alaska, there's no real need for a schedule.  From the beginning, I centered this trip around the 11th annual Road Glide Shark Week with a plan to arrive in Lake Tahoe on June 27th.  I'm still going to Shark Week, as that gathering is my absolute favorite trip each year.

So why I am I not excited?  I think it's a case of apprehension.  When I rode to Alaska, Denver was my first night's stop with Great Falls, Montana on the itinerary for night number two. I knew it for months before I left and I could envision myself riding into town...as planned.  For this trip, there is no plan.  I don't have to be anywhere by any date except for Lake Tahoe, twelve days from tomorrow. I can stop where I want, whenever I want  And that is where I believe the problem lies.  I suppose I need some direction, even on vacation.  Who knew?  I'll go to sleep tonight with full knowledge of when I'm rolling out, but with no idea where I'll go to sleep tomorrow.  I suppose there's a degree of adventure in that, but maybe I subconsciously crave a bit more structure.  These last few sentences sum up my whole dilemma.

My last long ride was to Shark Week X in Gettysburg.  I rode from Texas with my friend "Longway" and we stopped in Louisville, KY before meeting a group of Shark Week X riders in Pittsburgh where we hung out and toured the sights for a night before riding on to Gettysburg the next day. We enjoyed the week in PA with 150 fellow riders, despite the Governor's draconian China virus lockdown measures.  Then on Friday, I headed 1,400 miles back to Texas...in one day; just to see if I could do it. The solo ride back took me 20.5 hours to complete and included the most intense rain storms I've ever seen, much less ridden through.  I had an agenda. I had an itinerary. I had a goal and it was done!

If you've been reading, I am making this trip with Pearl, a trailer loaded with camping gear and creature comforts.  The whole idea of a trailer is to be able to stop where I want when I want and build my camp.  I've spent the better part of the last year preparing the trailer and Hester for a return trip to Alaska with full knowledge that my hopes could be dashed. I've known since March that Alaska was beyond my reach and have had three months to accept it and make alternate plans.  But plans involve detailed itineraries with scheduled stops and I don't have any of that.  I know. Poor me.  I have to take three weeks off work, get on my custom Harley, and ride around the country with no agenda.  Honestly, I know how fortunate I am and I don't take it for granted.

I've realized that at 58 years old, I'm entering a new phase of my life and it's a phase that includes something I've never really had erfore; chill.  I just need to chill out and ride till I'm done and then seek out a place to camp.  Then I need to wake up whenever I feel like it, pack up camp, and ride to the next chill spot.  Rinse and repeat.  I know people who would kill to have this opportunity and I'm pretty sure I will embrace it after I get a few days of it under my belt.  All I can say now - the night before - is I'm uneasy about it, but I'm outta here at 5:00am.  Stay tuned to see where I wind up.

Where's Shrug Quick Link

By request, I've made it easier to cyber stalk me on my ride. Look on the right column below the Alaskapade 2011 video link where it says "WHERE'S SHRUG?". Clicking "Live Feed Map" will take you to a dedicated map page that should be automagically updated by my Garmin satellite tracker. This page can be bookmarked for quicker access and/or printed and pinned to the ceiling above your bed for more intimate viewing. Let's be real. It's time to replace that Scott Baio or Farah Fawcett poster you've had up there for decades anyway. If your ceiling has mirrors, remember that objects are larger than they appear.

The auto posting thing is dynamite on paper. We'll see how it shakes out when I'm on the road.

 

Ladies and Gentlemen, Our Departure is Delayed

Three hundred miles a day?  For fifteen days?  I just can't.  I typically do 300 miles before lunch.  So, I've backed up my departure to Wednesday, June 16th.  It only adds a ~1,000 mile average to the entire twelve-day span, but I can ride a little longer each day with the option to stick around if I like a particular spot, but without the prospect of getting to Tahoe "too soon" and having to kill time.

Look for the GPS map updates to start populating sometime Wednesday morning.  As a reminder, you can follow and message me through this link.

North by Northwest - Finally, A Routing Tool I Trust!

I've discovered MotoWhere; a cool page with a companion app that allows me to click waypoints along a path I want to take and then generates an easy-to-follow route on my phone.  After a bit of trial and error, I used it to generate several routes for this trip and I am very happy with the results.

Everyone asks me why with me being the tech toy geek that I am, why I don't have a cool new GPS.  Actually, I do.  OK, it's cool, but not new.  In fact, it's eleven years old, but the manufacturer still offers firmware and map updates.  The reality is it's just another thing to take up real estate on my handlebars, to keep powered on, and to remove and secure when I'm off the bike.  My phone does it all with a slightly smaller display and I can download the routes for when I'm out of the service area.  Of course, I have paper backups for contingencies.

If I stick to my plan (and really, what are the odds of that?) I'm staring at 5,200 circuitous miles to get to Lake Tahoe and fifteen riding days to do it.  Honestly, I've never ridden such a slow pace.  I'm hoping my matured demeanor will kick in and allow me to stop and smell the roses. If you're tracking me, you'll know.  I rode 5,000 miles from Texas to Fairbanks, Alaska in only six days and even though I was ten years younger, that pace took its toll on me. There were a couple of days where I was so tired when I finally stopped, I didn't even set up a tent. I just unrolled my sleeping bag next to the bike and covered up with a tarp. I had transcended tired and was existing on brain frequencies beyond sleep. At that instant, I think I understood L. Ron Hubbard.  But I digress.

From Lake Tahoe I'll have another 1,700 to 1,900 miles to ride to get back home to Texas, depending on the route I take and where I stop along the way.

While the segments illustrated below are in order, they do not represent a day's travel, or any amount of travel time for that matter.  It was just easier to create bite-sized routes.  The red markers were are waypoints I added to ensure the app uses the twisty backroads routes I want instead of the super slabs I usually take.

North by Northwest - Another Tracking Method

The routes I've selected are primarily remote, twisty roads far from the interstate super slabs.  As such, I expect less than stellar cellular service most of the time I'm riding and perhaps where I camp nightly.  Since the primary tracking method I described in the previous entry is cellular based, I decided to give myself another option for tracking and for emergency communication.

Garmin InReach in the Outback

When I crossed the Outback in 2016, I took with me a satellite tracking device that not only provided extremely granular GPS tracking, but also offered two-way messaging in the most remote parts of the world.  Granted, my North by Northwest routes are remote, but they are by no means as remote as was the Outback.  Still, in the interest of safety and a desire for the ability to call for help irrespective of where I may wander, I blew the dust off the old Garmin InReach SE GPS transponder and activated it for a month.  The InReach will collect more granular GPS location information than my phone and will send those updates at two-to-ten-minute intervals.  I used to know how to embed the interactive map directly into my blog, but I've slept since then and can't remember how I did it.  If I have time to figure it out before I go, the maps will magically appear in the menu on the right side of the page.   If not, they can be directly viewed  at https://share.garmin.com/Shrug.  If prompted for a password, try shrug&hester.  You should be linked to a page that looks something like the image below where you can click and drag, zoom in/out, and change map layers.

 

North by Northwest - Wanna Follow Along?

I've been asked if I will have my ride tracked while I'm on the road, so I decided to configure a following/mapping tool for readers.  It's not perfect, but when it works, it works well.

You can follow this link and enter shrug&hester if prompted for a password.  The interactive map allows for satellite, roads, or hybrid views and can be zoomed in/out as needed.  The app draws a straight line between coordinate updates from my phone, so if it appears I'm bisecting curves, it's just the update interval.  This is usually most visible when zoomed in tight.  Point hover or click on the tracking dots to see details at that instant.  If I travel out of cellular service (which is the plan) then the updates will pause until I re-enter coverage, upon which the cached data in my phone should be added to the map.  The image below is an example from my 2020 trip to Gettysburg.  The app have been completely rewritten, so I expect better representation of mapping.

Decision Made - Staying South of the Border

Sometimes decisions are easy when they're essentially made for you because your options are severely limited.  I as much as I loathe being told where I can and cannot go, I'm even more averse to unnecessary risks.  One such decision has been the topic of a few recent blog entries.

I have been debating attempting to cross the border into Canada and heading up the ALCAN for a ten-year reunion with Alaska.  Prime Minister Trudeau is a bigger idiot than Joe Biden and the restrictions he's imposed are not only crushing Canadians' vacations, they're crushing the Canadian economy as well.  Despite the restrictions, I feel confident I have verifiable documentation for justifiable means to cross in order to "provide an essential service in Alaska".  All I would need is a 72-hour negative China virus test result.  Returning home would be allowed under the provision that I am returning through Canada from essential work, back to my home state.  Again, another virus test would be needed.  Even with my ducks in as much of a row as ducks might get, the final decision is completely subjective and would be up to the Border Agent in duty when I arrive there.  If I get the wrong guy having a bad day, I'm I'm heading south.  I decided that was more risk than I want to take.

I will stay in America where things are increasingly opening up as citizens stand up and demand to reclaim their freedoms.  As such, I've selected some interesting routes that will take me WAY off the beaten path and force me to ride slower, fewer hours per day, and to actually breathe.  While on the Alaskapade in 2011, I rode crazy 900-mile long segments for days on end. I think I'll slow my roll a bit on this trip.  My motivations are very different a decade later.

North by Northwest

I plan to meander my way through New Mexico and  the most iconic northbound routes in Colorado, making my to Red Lodge Montana - the start of the Beartooth Highway.  I'll camp wherever between home and Montana and get there when I get there.

From Red Lodge, I'll ride the Beartooth Highway westward and make my way up to Whidey Island, to which I last rode in 2010 with my mom.  I'll take the Keystone Ferry to Port Townsend/Coupeville and make my east to La Push, WA.  From La Push, I'll start hugging the pacific coastline and ride 101south into Oregon.  I'll have a short tourist stop/photo op in Bend, OR before heading back to the coast and riding south into California.  Once in California, I'll make my way to PC101 and ride the iconic Pacific Coast Highway down to San Luis Obispo.  I'm considering a run all the way south to San Diego, just to say I did it, but will decide based on the time I have left in my schedule.

From either San Diego or San Luis Obispo, I will make my way to Yosemite National Park and then up to Lake Tahoe to a attend a gathering riders that we've had for the last ten years.  While in Tahoe,  I will park the trailer and actually spend five nights in a hotel, which will be a welcome change after two weeks in a tent.  I plan to head back home the following Friday, with a stop somewhere along the way.  It would be nice to be home for Independence Day.

That's it folks.  It ain't Alaska, but I'm going to make the best of it and capture some drone and surface level footage and lots of photos.

Trailer Trash

I wrote previously about building a trailer to pull behind Hester for motorcycle camping.  I picked up a shell of a trailer built by a friend of a friend.  It had good bones and I set out to realize my vision of the perfect motorcycle travel rig.  The eight-inch wheels and bias ply tires were replaced with twelve-inch mags and radials.  Larger wheels spin slower and less and therefore inflict less wear and tear on wheel bearings. Of course, this meant I had to install larger fenders to accommodate the larger wheels. I added a pair of twenty-pound hydraulic strut lifts to hold the clamshell open while I’m loading, unloading, or just digging around in there.  I added surface level D rings in the base of the clamshell, to which I can attach bungee cords that serve to secure cargo while I'm on the move.  I extended the tongue eighteen inches, which moves the clamshell back more from the motorcycle to provide a more stable towing experience and to make load distribution more forgiving.  Load distribution is paramount when pulling a trailer, especially with a motorcycle. The elongated tongue bar gave me room to mount an ice chest holder in front of the clamshell.  Finally, I added a removable 100-watt solar panel to the roof.  This panel charges a small integrated inverter/generator that stores inside the clamshell.  The panel and generator combined weigh less than 25 pounds!  With this rig, I can charge the generator while I ride all day and have multiple 110VAC power outlets and high-speed USB ports for charging my electronics at night.  I had already outfitted Hester with a trailer hitch and wiring for the LED trailer lighting.  Although I haven’t weighed the finished product yet, the entire fully packed and properly balanced rig can be led around and dropped on the trailer hitch ball with just one hand.  It’s everything I envisioned when I set out to create a capable motorcycle trailer rig.

As with any motorcycle maintenance, the trailer needed a shakedown run to prove its road worthiness.  There’s a loop near my home that I like to ride after I work on Hester that offers a a good mix of roughly forty-five miles of curves, pavement, and gravel roads.  I decided to forego this loop and just winged it on my first trailer trip out; riding three hundred miles to the Arkansas National Forest for a weekend camping trip.  While I knew the trailer design and ergonomics were solid, I was still a bit apprehensive about the first trip and I kept my speed down to 60mph for the first thirty or so miles.  The trailer pulled like a dream.  Honestly, it’s easy to forget it’s back there, which would be a nightmare in the wrong circumstances.  It’s most important to account for the additional space needed at gas stations, tight 90-degree corners, and while backing into parking spaces.  Within an hour on the road, I was confidently cruising at 80mph and the trip to Hot Springs was uneventful.  I did notice a hit on gas mileage to the tune of about ten percent, which is only slightly more than riding with an adult passenger.  That's a cost and time factor I will have to consider as I plan trips.

While on the road, I got a lot of odd stares from people not only unaccustomed to seeing a motorcycle pulling a trailer, but a trailer with a solar panel on its roof.  It made for interesting conversations at gas stops, with most people wondering where the equipment the panel charged was and how I interconnected everything.  I think I’ll make a YouTube video.

I learned an interesting aspect of trailering that I had not previously considered.  If I spot an object in my path riding on two wheels, I can usually dodge it.  If I’m in a car, I can usually straddle it.  This is not the case when pulling a trailer with a motorcycle. If there’s an object on the road and insufficient time or distance away to change lanes, something is going to hit it.  Trike riders know this but I’ve never ridden a trike, so it was an epiphany for me.  I’ll do some research on the best tactics, but I suspect letting one of the radial tires take the impact is more practical than the motorcycle.  For one, motorcycle tires are inline, so if one hits it the other follows and they could both be damaged.  The trailer wheels are separated by an axle and the radial tires are more forgiving (and far less expensive) than motorcycle tires.  Trailer wheels are also much easier to change than motorcycle wheels and I carry a spare and lug wrench in the trailer.

All in all, Hester’s first outing with her tag along was an uneventful success.  All the trailer needs is a name.  I decided to call her Pearl as that was the name of Hester Prynne’s illegitimate daughter in The Scarlett Letter.  It seemed only fitting.

 

Alternate Itinerary

Well, shit.

The more I thought about it, the more interested I was in a potential Arctic adventure route change.  As cool as it might be, the reality is the choice might not be mine to make.  Borders around the world (except for the US southern border) are still in a state of flux, thanks again to China and the global virus they unleashed.  The Canadian border is no exception, but there are exceptions to the restrictions that I thought would determine my ultimate route.

Until recently, US citizens could enter Canada in vehicles with the expressed purpose of traveling straight to Alaska with no "tourist" stops along the way.  Drivers' vehicles are tagged at the Canadian border entry and they are given a specific amount of days to exit Canada at an Alaskan border.  Drivers not exiting within the time limit are fined and/or detained.  This boded well for me because I can get through Canada in a few days; even at a leisurely pace of 800 miles per day.  Since I'm tugging a trailer and can just pull over and camp, I'll come in contact with even fewer people. I hoped Canadian border officials would appreciate this, but I honestly don't expect their leadership to act any more rationally than ours.

If the previous travel restrictions were still being enforced when I planned to leave in June, then I would have gone with my original plan and ride through Fairbanks up to Prudhoe Bay.  If time allowed, I might've ridden south to Anchorage on my way out since I've never ridden there.  If the Canadian border restrictions had been relaxed, then I planned to make a turn to the north outside Dawson City and ride new ground (for me) to the Arctic Ocean north of the Dempster Highway.  I haven't done the research to speculate the amount of time it will take to get to Tuktoyaktuk, but I've read that the roads are mostly unpaved and that there are multiple river crossings where I'll be at the mercy of ferry schedules. I also must remember that this trip will be capped off by riding to Shark Week XI and as such, I have to plan my dates to the greatest extent possible around arriving in Lake Tahoe by June 28th.

People who know me know that I end to be spontaneous in life...except with my road trips.  There are so many things that could go wrong that I have to plan every detail with backup alternatives because when it comes to achieving personal accomplishments, I don't like leaving things to chance.  That said, there are many uncertainties that I'll just have to face when they happen. That uncertainty is all part of the adventure and I am in real need of adventure!

Canada has introduced a new economy-crushing initiative that forces travelers to pay a $2,000 fee for the privilege of staying in a pre-selected quarantine hotel for three nights and that must be followed up for an additional eleven days of local quarantine.  Makes no fucking sense whatsoever.

I won't let anyone, much less Canada stop me from making an epic trip.  I rode to Shark Week X in Gettysburg in July during the height of the pandemic nonsense and in one of the most locked-down states in the country.  Our event had a great crowd, went off without a hitch, and those who bailed on it out of fear regretted it from the first days when all the arrival photos started being posted.  We played it safe and acted responsibly.  Not one of the attendees became ill after returning home.

If Trudeau doesn't pull his head out of his ass, my current plan is to make my way through Colorado, Wyoming, Montana, and Idaho to Washington.  Then, I'll follow highway 101 south, hugging the coastline through Washington, Oregon, and into California; camping all the way up and down.  Once in Cali, I'll catch super scenic PC1 and ride it at least as far south as San Luis Obispo.  If time permits, I might ride all the way to San Diego before turning northeast and heading towards Yosemite and on to Lake Tahoe for Shark Week XI.

I mapped out a few potential scenic routes that ought to offer some camping spots along the way.  I'm sure these will change over the next six weeks.  Stay tuned!

Alaskapade 2021 - A Route Change?

I've been planning my return to the Arctic ever since my 2020 Everest trip was scuttled by the China virus.  At 58 years old, I still have a few adventures in me and it's been ten years, so why not return?  On my last Alaska trip in 2011, I rode deep into the Arctic Circle, turning around at Coldfoot Camp due to weather on the north slope.  Although riding to the Arctic Circle sign was my goal, I entertained the idea of riding to Dead Horse and seeing the Arctic Ocean.

 

I have pics of my riding boots in the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian Oceans and the Gulf of Mexico.  Snapping a pic of them in the Arctic Ocean would be cool.  The problem is, in Alaska, vehicles are prohibited to drive past Deadhorse in Prudhoe Bay.  If I want to see the water, I'll have to hop on a bus with the other tourists.  But, there is another option.

One of the most scenic roads in Canada is the Dempster (Inuvik-to-Tuktoyaktuk) Highway.  This "road" is primarily gravel crap and there are several ferry crossings, but it will take me all the way to the Arctic shore.  I think it's time to rethink my trip.

Will it still be called the Alaskapade?

 

 

As I type this, the more I think about it, the more interested I get in the potential Arctic adventure route change.  As cool as it might be, the reality is the choice might not be mine to make.  Borders around the world are in a state of flux, thanks again to China and the global virus they unleashed.  The Canadian border is no exception, but there are exceptions to the restrictions that will determine my ultimate route.

Currently, US citizens can enter Canada in vehicles with the expressed purpose of traveling straight to Alaska with no "tourist" stops along the way.  Drivers' vehicles are tagged at the Canadian border entry and they are given a specific amount of days to exit Canada at an Alaskan border.  Drivers not exiting within the time limit are fined and/or detained.  This bodes well for me because I can get through Canada in a few days; even at a leisurely pace of 800 miles per day.  Since I'm tugging a trailer and can just pull over and camp, I'll come in contact with even fewer people. I'm hoping the Canadian border officials will appreciate this.  If the current travel restriction is still being enforced when I plan to leave in June, then I will go with my original plan and ride through Fairbanks up to Prudhoe Bay.  If time allows, I might ride south to Anchorage on my way out since I've never ridden there.

If the Canadian border restrictions are relaxed, then I think I'll make the turn to the north outside Dawson City and ride new ground (for me).  I haven't done the research to speculate the amount of time it will take to get to Tuktoyaktuk, but I've read that the roads are mostly unpaved and that there are multiple river crossings where I'll be at the mercy of ferry schedules. I also must remember that this trip will be capped off by riding to Shark Week XI and as such, I have to plan my dates to the greatest extent possible around arriving in Lake Tahoe by June 28th.  People who know me know that I tend to be spontaneous in life...except with my road trips.  There are so many things that could go wrong that I have to plan every detail with backup alternatives because when it comes to achieving personal accomplishments, I don't like leaving things to chance.  That said, there are many uncertainties that I'll just have to face when they happen. That uncertainty is all part of the adventure and I am in real need of adventure!

 Stay tuned!

This is the route I'm considering.